Knot-tying device.



J. P. OCONNELL.

KNOT TYING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FEB.11,1909.

Patented N0v.'7, 1911.

a ATTORNEY.

MBIA PL/modum UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE JAMES P. OCONNELL, 0F CROMIPTON, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDGAR L. MERROW, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

KNOT-TYING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. '7, 1911.

Application filed February 11, 1909. Serial No. 477,415.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMES P. OCONNELL, of Crompton, in the county of Kent and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knot- Tying Devices; and I do hereby declare the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The invention relates to an improved device for tying the ends of yarn or thread together, and is particularly adapted for use by the operators of doubling, twisting, spooling, winding and similar machines.

The principalobject of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character which can be conveniently supported upon the fingers of the operator and which is adapted to cut the ends of the yarn, when the knot has been tied, into uniform lengths as well as into any desired length.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character with a cutting edge which is formed integral with the body portion and is capable of being easily and quickly resharpened whenever it becomes dull.

Another object of the invention consists in providing means for holding the yarn or thread in position while being operated upon to form the knot.

To these ends the invention consists in novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail refcrence will be made to the accompanying drawings in which-- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved device in and upon the hands of the operator, illustrating the manner in which it is held, the manner of holding the broken ends of the yarn around the yarn-holder, and the first position of the knot-forming member. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the position of the threads and the yarn-forming member after the broken ends have been looped around the end of the knot-forming member. Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the position of the yarn and the knot-forming member after the loop has been slipped off the end of said knotforming member and the knot completed Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the yarnholding member. Fig. 5 is a perspective vlew of the knot-forming member. Fig. 6 1s a sectional view on line wm, Fig. 5. Fig.

7 is a perspective view of a modified form' of the knot-forming member. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line y2, Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, my improved knot-tying device comprises a yarn-holding member A and a knot-forming member B. The yainholding member A 1s preferably made of wire bent up to form the coils 1, 2, and 3 and a U-shaped loop 4. The coil-1 is located below the coils 2 and 3 which are arranged in alinement with each other, and the loop 4 is located between said coils 2 and 8 and is bent back upon itself, all as shown in Fig. 4c.

The knot-for1ning member B is preferably made from a piece of sheet metal of a suitable shape to fit the hand of the operator. In one end of the member B is loosely mounted a ring 5 by means of which the device may be supported on one of the fingers of the hand of the operator without interfering with the use of the hand for other purposes. Adjacent the other end, the member B is provided with a hole 6 which is countersunk on one side to form a cutting edge 7 upon the opposite side of the body of the member.

Extending from the hole 6 to the edge of the end of the member B is a radial slot 8 which is preferably cut at an angle to the transverse axis of said member B, as shown in Fig. 6, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The end portion of the member B adjacent the hole 6 is rounded or curved on one 'side substantially concentric with the hole 6, while the opposite side of said end portion is provided with a sharp corner or shoulder 9 adjacent the slot 8, also for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The manner in which the device is used will now be described, reference being had to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings. The yarnholder A is slipped upon the fingers of the left hand of the operator, the first finger being passed through the coils 2 and 3 and the second finger through the coil 1, the U- shaped loop 4 extending'toward the back of the hand as shown. The knot-forming member B is then held in the right hand with the little finger passing through the ring 5. The broken ends of the yarn C are now gripped between the fingers of the right hand and passed over the thumb of the left hand and around the loop 4 of the yarnholder A. The knot-forming member B is now placed upon that portion of the yarn C which passes from the left thumb across to the loop 4 of the yarn-holding member A, the countersunk portion of the hole 6 being uppermost, all as shown in Fig. 1. The free end of the member B is now moved downward and around the yarn C by twisting the right hand so as'to turn the member B over and bring the knife edge portion of the hole 6 uppermost, thereby forming a loop of the yarn C upon the member B, as shown in Fig. 2. The member B is now turned lengthwise until the slot 8 is directly above and in line with that portion of the yarn C which passes from the member B to the yarn-holder A. The free end of said member B is then moved downward so as to force the yarn C through the slot 8 and into the hole 6. The member B is now drawn away from the left hand, which causes the loop which has been formed upon said member B to be pulled of]? the end thereof andform the knot, as shown in Fig. 3. As the loop is pulled off the member B it passes over the shoulder 9, which shoulder causes the yarn to jump across the slot 8 and thus prevents. the looped portion of said yarn from entering the slot and interfering with the tying of the knot. As the slot 8 is also cut at an angle to the transverse axis of the member B the liability of the yarn to accidentally enter said slot is also further obviated. After the knot has been formed the free end of the member B is given a quick rotary movement in the direction of the curvature of the hole 6 and the waste ends are severed by means of the cutting edge 7 and the knot completed.

As will be seen, the length of the ends of the yarn after the knot is completed depends upon the width of the metal between the hole 6 and curved edge of the end portion of the member B at the place where the loop lies at the time the ends are severed, so that by drilling the hole 6 at varying distances from the edge of said member B the length of the ends of the yarn when the knot is completed can be varied and regulated. It will also be seen that by countersinking the hole 6 upon one side only the knife-edge 7 can be quickly and readily resharpened at any time by simply grinding down the back of the member B.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a modified form of the knot-forming machine, in which the end of said member adjacent the hole 6 is made sub stantially concentric with said hole and without the employment of any shoulder, as in the member B shown in Fig. 5. With this form of device, however, the slot 8 is cut at a greater angle than in the device shown in said Fig. 5, in order to obviate the liability of the yarn accidentally entering said slot. The hole 6 in the modification is countersunk upon both sides, as shown in Fig. 8. The operation of the device is the same as the form shown in Fig. 5.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A knot-forming device comprising a sheet metal body portion provided with a hole adjacent one end thereof, a cutting edge extending entirely around said hole, and a slot extending from said holevto the edge of said body portion.

2. A knot-forming device comprising a sheet. metal body portion provided with a countersunk hole adjacent one end thereof and a slot extending from said hole to the edge of said body portion, said slot being arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said body portion.

3. A knot-tying device comprising a sheet metal body port-ion provided with a countersunk hole adjacent one end thereof, and a slot extending from said hole to the edge of said body portion, said slot being arranged at an angle to the transverse axis of said body portion.

- JAMES P. OCONN ELL. Witnesses:

W. H. THUnsToN, J. H. THURSTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

